I was really nervous about the first rehearsal. Abi had asked me how I wanted to structure it, and I had no idea - so we decided she'd run a short warmup workshop with them (being the more creative out of the two of us), and then we'd go straight into a dry read through of the play, with me taking notes along the way. This turned out to be ideally as to my great annoyance, a meeting I was in overran making me 10minutes late - not a good start for one of the directors.
However, when I arrived they were just about to start reading, so it was an ideal time for me to become engaged. It couldn't have gone any better. Hearing our chosen actors read out the words reaffirmed our casting decisions (which I'd been nervous about too), and put me right at ease. My copy of the script is completely covered in annotations and post-it notes, and already from just one rehearsal I'm starting to see it in my head.
We're working in a slightly different way to other directors - as Abi's focusing her study on space, she's the one who is largely deciding the size and shape of the stage, and the way in which the space is dressed. My interest is in the actors, and the way in which the characters are portrayed. This works very well, harnessing our strengths and complimenting one another's work without getting in each other's way.
So, one read through down, now it's time to start planning the rest of the rehearsals. With the Easter holidays taken into consideration, there are 6 rehearsals scheduled, equalling 18hours - for a one-night show, I'm fairly confident that this will be enough time. We shall see further down the line, but for now, I'm learning, growing, and gaining confidence.
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Saturday 23 February 2013
Moving forward
We have a cast list! Four auditions were held, we saw eight people, and had five characters to cast.
It wasn't easy - having two co-directors can be tricky if you have different ideas. For Abi and I, it was the opposite. We'd not fully discussed the atmosphere that we wanted yet, and so each had a different gut feeling during the auditions.
The character of Jimmy was particularly difficult, as the play rests on him and his attitudes throughout the story. One auditionee was cold, calculating, and inherently bitter. The other had a lot of physical presence, a playful yet cruel approach, and was very outwardly angry. They'd produce very different atmospheres on stage, one being a lot darker than the other. At times like this, there is always the risk of disagreements and problems surrounding creative differences. Luckily, Abi and I work very differently but in a wholly complimentary way, and thus following a (45minute) discussion, we were able to come to an agreement. It was about which actor could provide the most accurate depiction of our Jimmy, closely looking at character descriptions, and the reactions of the other characters on stage.
Eventually, we managed to get through all my notes (of which I had made any, Abi preferring to just watch and absorb), and we have a cast. Five very strong actors, and those who didn't get a place have asked to join our production team which has gone from one to four in a matter of hours.
This has also made the entire process far more real. It's bizarre to think that on Tuesday we're having our first readthrough, and all of a sudden I'm directing a play. Not just an extract - the full play, set to take just over an hour, to be performed in just under three months.
Bring it on.
It wasn't easy - having two co-directors can be tricky if you have different ideas. For Abi and I, it was the opposite. We'd not fully discussed the atmosphere that we wanted yet, and so each had a different gut feeling during the auditions.
The character of Jimmy was particularly difficult, as the play rests on him and his attitudes throughout the story. One auditionee was cold, calculating, and inherently bitter. The other had a lot of physical presence, a playful yet cruel approach, and was very outwardly angry. They'd produce very different atmospheres on stage, one being a lot darker than the other. At times like this, there is always the risk of disagreements and problems surrounding creative differences. Luckily, Abi and I work very differently but in a wholly complimentary way, and thus following a (45minute) discussion, we were able to come to an agreement. It was about which actor could provide the most accurate depiction of our Jimmy, closely looking at character descriptions, and the reactions of the other characters on stage.
Eventually, we managed to get through all my notes (of which I had made any, Abi preferring to just watch and absorb), and we have a cast. Five very strong actors, and those who didn't get a place have asked to join our production team which has gone from one to four in a matter of hours.
This has also made the entire process far more real. It's bizarre to think that on Tuesday we're having our first readthrough, and all of a sudden I'm directing a play. Not just an extract - the full play, set to take just over an hour, to be performed in just under three months.
Bring it on.
I Love You//I Hate You - audition game
The I Love You//I Hate You game aims to focus actors on their energy and the way in which they express different intensities of emotion. Standing 10 paces apart, they either evoke love or hate. Starting at 0-1 energy, with each step the line "I love/hate you" gets more intense, until they're face to face with their partner at level 10.
The important thing I found was that at level 10, love and hate look almost the same. It is a physical, gut response that can be incredibly aggressive.
In the foreground, Luke (Colonel Redfern) and Abi (director) almost have the same physical reaction - Abi moves towards Luke, and Luke moves away from Abi, but they both throw their arms up and their faces become distorted with shouting.
In the foreground, Luke (Colonel Redfern) and Abi (director) almost have the same physical reaction - Abi moves towards Luke, and Luke moves away from Abi, but they both throw their arms up and their faces become distorted with shouting.
1962 image
1962, Tower Theatre, Canonbury
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